Look who's two and a half!

How did this even happen?  How can you already be two and a half?  Story, the first two and a half years of your little life have been so much fun!  You bring so much joy and sweetness into our home, and the five of us couldn't love you more if we tried!

 Here's what you're up to at 2 1/2 besides being the cutest thing ever!

•  You wear size 2T in most things.  In dresses a 3 or 4T fits you better because you are tall.  
• You wear size 9 shoe.  And oh how you love shoes!  Your favorites are your rain boots from T! 
• Your favorite show on television is Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and you ask for it regularly! It's a cute new show that's a spin-off of Mr. Rogers.  
• Your favorite toys are baby dolls, blocks, crayons, and books.  

•  You love to talk and talk and talk.  And you love to sing.  Some of your favorite songs are : Pete the Cat, Row Row Row Your Boat, Indescribable, Jesus Loves Me, Little Bunny Foo Foo, and whatever else we can come up with to sing.  
• We have had lots of fun watching you learn and grow.  You know your ABCs and can count up to 14.  

•  Your eyes are a beautiful blue, definitely a different blue than Carter's.  Your hair is sandy brown and has grown so much in the last few months.  You've only had one trim, and it's probably time for another!
• You are a good sleeper.  You take one nap, ranging between 1.5-3 hours.  You go to bed at 7 most nights and sleep until about 7 the next morning.  Occasionally, you wake up early in the morning and have to potty.  After that, you like to climb into bed with us, ha!  

•  You are very attached.  To me.  You love to be wherever I am.  And you love to help.  You love to help me with the dishes, the laundry, cooking, getting the mail, taking out the trash.  You're just my little shadow, and we go everywhere together.  I mean everywhere, ha!
• If I seem to be overly busy, you'll tell me:  "Mommy, sit so I can cuddle with you!" So sweet.  And convicting.   I love this about you!  David and I often say that we feel like we are really able to enjoy you and this age even more than we were able to with your older siblings because there was always another baby on the way!  We are just trying to relish each moment.  

•  You're potty trained!  Yay!  We are very proud of you for how well you have done.  October 1 was d-day, and we didn't look back.  You've done great.  We painted lots of little fingers and toes.  We sang lot of songs and read lots of books.  I won't go into details about all of it, ha!  We are just proud of you and thankful to be diaper and pull-up free after 6 years of changing little bottoms.  

•  This month, we began sending you to Mother's Day Out at our church just one day a week.  I told David the first day you came home, you looked so much bigger!  You've only been two days so far, but you have really seemed to enjoy "going to school!" 
• You continue to go with me to the gym most mornings each week.  We had a spell about a month ago when you didn't like for me to leave you.  There were a couple of times when I had to go get you and we just walked on the track, ha!  I think we are over that for now.  

•  You make the funniest faces and say the funniest things, mostly things you've heard your siblings say, or at least your own version of what you hear.  
• We just love your little personality!
• You are a pretty good eater.  I think you would prefer to snack, if we would let you.  Some of your favorites are french fries, ketchup, chicken nuggets, grapes, yogurt, eggs, pancakes, bacon, crackers, cookies, cheese, pbj, catfish.  You've even tried sushi!  

• You are quite independent.  You love to dress yourself in the mornings and most days you get it right!  I lay your clothes out the night before, and you dress  yourself.  
• You entertain yourself well, especially when you forget I'm around, ha! The other night the big 3 were playing, your daddy and I were watching TV, and you were sitting on top of the train table playing contentedly with your toys.  It was such a sweet sight.  

Story, Mommy, Daddy, Carter, Summer, & Tilly love you so very much.  We love your laugh, it's the cutest thing, ever.  We love your sweet smile and great hugs.  We love your on the mouth kisses and how you want to be tucked in just so at night.  We love how you complete our family.  We love you to the moon and back!